As my four years as a Penn student draw to a close, I can safely say that my often-tumultuous relationship with the DP was a lot like finishing an 8K race with one shoe.

As a Sports Editor, I was part of a team that was intent on leaving our mark. And along the way, I had the chance to witness some incredible sporting events.

Over the last four years, I’ve accumulated enough bylines to satisfy my lust for permanence. As Paul Bettany’s portrayal of Geoffrey Chaucer explains in A Knight’s Tale, immortality lies within the bounds of ink and paper.

If you had told me in the summer of 2008 that I would eventually become a staff writer for one of the most accomplished student papers in the world, I would’ve laughed.

Despite a loss to Dartmouth, the Quakers earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and will take on No. 6 Loyola.

As Penn softball ace Alexis Borden churned out inning after inning of flawless pitching, nearly everyone in attendance began to realize that she was approaching a hallowed feat: the perfect game.

Behind hat tricks from Meredith Cain and Courtney Tomchik, the Quakers beat Harvard, 9-5, in the semifinals of the Ivy League tournament. They will play Dartmouth Sunday for the championship and NCAA tournament berth.

While the women dominated the performances on the track and in the field yesterday, it was the men’s turn Friday.

Judge, the senior from Tewksbury, Mass., managed to get over bar at 1.68 meters but missed on all three attempts at her next height. It didn’t matter as all her competitors also failed and Judge was declared the winner having jumped flawlessly at lower heights.

High school track at Penn Relays may be most noteworthy, as many of the participants will potentially find themselves competing for or against Penn in the near future.

With the Penn women’s lacrosse team’s spot in the Ivy League Tournament still in jeopardy, the Quakers turned up the pressure and played their best game of the season, throttling Princeton, 13-8, at Class of 1952 Stadium.

Oregon Ducks The women’s team has a legitimate shot at sweeping all three distance relays if they have enough in the tank.

On Saturday, the final day of Penn Relays, the pros will take to the track as they build up to the Olympic Trials in June.

This weekend, Penn will feature a brand-new discus and hammer throwing area that rivals Olympic facilities and hopes to attract talent from across the world.

Mattis, a senior at East Brunswick High, has been dominating his competition for quite some time. In 2010, he set a sophomore state record by six feet with a 197-foot, 3-inch hurl.

Women’s track and field coach Gwen Harris knew her group of 13 recruits was going to be special when they entered Penn as freshmen four years ago. She just didn’t know how special.

For Brian Chaput, a Penn 2004 graduate and javelin thrower making a bid for the U.S. Olympic team, the journey to greatness has had several hurdles along the way.